String Breakage.....

gtrzan

New member
I am finding that on my Strat. I do a lot of high E bends at the 12th fret and they keep breaking in the middle. Is this normal? Is a full step about all I can expect. Is this due to the longer scale length of the Strat? The strings never break at the nut or saddle, only at the area being bent. I can not fing any sharp edges on the frets.
 
Re: String Breakage.....

Normally when I break strings, it's at the bridge. If you're doing an awful lot of bending at the 12th fret, you may be weakening the string at that point. You don't say what guages of strings you're playing but obviously the thicker the string, the more it will stand up to that sort of punishment. The fret also doesn't really have to be sharp per se, just something for the string to wear itself out on. I've got pretty strong hands and about the most I can get with normal force is about a step & a half, but then I use 10s & 11s on the top end.
 
Re: String Breakage.....

when you put enw strings on, do you stretch them? that could be it.

also, check your bridge saddles, if there is a sharp edge, that could be it as well.
 
Re: String Breakage.....

Hellion said:
Normally when I break strings, it's at the bridge. If you're doing an awful lot of bending at the 12th fret, you may be weakening the string at that point. You don't say what guages of strings you're playing but obviously the thicker the string, the more it will stand up to that sort of punishment. The fret also doesn't really have to be sharp per se, just something for the string to wear itself out on. I've got pretty strong hands and about the most I can get with normal force is about a step & a half, but then I use 10s & 11s on the top end.
the thicker the string the less of a bend you can get outta it though, i'm guessing its a lack or string streching, this used to happen to me and i streched my strings more and it stopped happenin.... but i use .011's...
 
Re: String Breakage.....

Have you considered changing the brand of string you use? I've been using Gibson Vintage Reissue (10's) for around 2 years and I've only broken 3 strings, and all of them were cases in which I didn't stretch the strings well enough when I first put them on, and tried to stretch them some more after a few weeks of playing and pretty much just ripped it out.
 
Back
Top